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Following weeks of legal drama, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawyers headed to Manhattan Federal Court for a pre-trial hearing. The biggest takeaway? A judge threatened to move up their trial date. 

Baldoni and Lively’s lawyers had their first pre-trial hearing on Feb. 3, 2025

The It Ends With Us stars’ legal teams went to court on Feb. 3, 2025, for the first pre-trial hearing in their ongoing legal battle that began in December 2024. Lively filed a legal complaint alleging Baldoni of sexual harassment on waging a smear campaign against her. (Baldoni and Lively didn’t have to be there.)

According to Deadline, the 90-minute session in court before Judge Lewis J. Liman “got both procedural and pointed quickly.” Lawyers for both sides slammed the other, claiming their clients were taking shots at the other in the media. 

Judge says Lively, Baldoni trial will be moved up if talk in the press continues

During the hearing, Judge Liman reportedly threatened to move up the March 2026 trial date previously set for Baldoni and Lively if the case continues to be “litigated in the press.” 

For those who haven’t followed the developments closely, Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who is also named in Baldoni’s suit, previously made multiple requests for a gag order on the director’s lead attorney Bryan Freedman. Meanwhile, Freeman gave media interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from It Ends With Us leaked along with text messages and a 2 a.m. voice note from Baldoni to Lively. 

Ultimately, Judge Liman told both sides to watch what they say publicly. “Essentially, neither side in the multi-prong matter is to say anything to the press that could taint a potential jury,” per the outlet.

For now, the Baldoni-Lively trial date remains March 9, 2025. 

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